Are Your Employees Are Your Employees Disgruntled: Eight Clues Disgruntled: Eight Clues

That You Should Address That You Should Address ImmediatelyImmediately

Dianne Shaddock

All organizations have at least one disgruntled employee

ALL companies. Despite how progressive a company may be

Regardless of all of the employee benefits and perks a company may offer

Despite having the most open and accessible supervisor, every organization is faced with this issue. 

Oftentimes, the fact that an employee is unhappy is obvious

Other times, it’s less transparent

The first step is to take stock of the obvious clues

and then determine the best approach to salvaging the working relationship

How to you deal with an unhappy worker? 

Common behaviors of a disgruntled employee include:

Arrives late to company meetings, or misses meetings altogether

Attends meetings but is quiet, agitated, or bored

Frequently misses deadlines

Employee’s work quality changes from strong to mediocre or poor.  Has trouble keeping up with the pace of the work

Frequently leaves work early, arrives late or calls in sick

Spends time surfing the Internet or on the phone

Responds in a confrontational, angry, or overly aggressive way to simple requests or comments

Always negative; finds fault with everything

If the negative change in behavior is work related…

Ask whether:

Is it because the workload has increased? 

Is your employee feeling overwhelmed or not supported?

Are there issues with other members of the team that are

negatively impacting your employee?

The first step is to determine the reasons for the change in behavior if possible

Make it a part of your business best practices to check in with staff on a regular basis, both at group meetings and in “one on one” meetings

Let your staff know that you or others if appropriate are available to talk if there are concerns relating to the work

Sometimes an employee’s unhappiness has nothing to do with the workplace and everything to do with something happening in their personal life. 

You can offer support by:

allowing the employee some time off or

giving them ability to leave early to focus on issues that are likely distracting them from their work

Although it can be a slippery slope to venture down the path of personally helping employees deal with personal issues…

…If your company has an Employee Assistance Program, refer the employee to it

…or remind employees’ to take advantage of mental health support as part of their medical plan if your company offers one

Remember:A little compassion and a lot of communication are the

first steps in turning a worker who is unhappy into a more motivated and engaged partner in your business.

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